Starter for engines.



T. Z|MMERMAN..

STARTER FOR ENGINE S.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 19I6 Patented J an 7, 1-919.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

r. ZIMMERMANL STARTER FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 4, 1915.

1,290,472. Patented Jan. 7,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ambaw UNITED STATES. BEE

OFFICE. I

THOMAS ZIMMERMAN, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW'YORK, ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN'IS, TO U. S. LIGHT 8; HEAT. CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YOBK.--

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS ZIMMERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Starters for Engines, of which the following is a full, clear,

' .cific features thereof, to devices of such character having normally incomplete or interruptable transmissions.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide reliable starting apparatus of such simplicity in number and arrangement of parts that the possibility'of disarrangement is reduced to a minimum and any developed trouble will readily be apparent to the lay operator.

Another object lies in the provision of means whereby the power transmission, and other connections, may be easily and quickly effected.

Another object lies in the provision of a geared starter which is reliable, durable, and efficient in operation.

Still another ob ect lies in the provision of apparatus of the character described wherein the power transmission maybe automatically interrupted upon the development of a certain speed of the engine, and

wherein the transmission may be readily and 'efiectively recompleted without lost motion when the engine speed is below a certain value. 3

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the invention Figure 1 is a view of the invention in side elevation, with parts-broken away to show more clearly the interior structure.

Fig. :2 is asection taken substantially along the line 2, 2, in Fig. 1.

'Fig. 3 is a view in top plan of the transmission case and contents with the top cover removed.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of their;- vention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed March 4,1915. Serial No. 12,173.

STARTER FOB ENGINES.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

ed for rotation upon the snlined shaft 8 and adapted to be shifted longitudinally of said shaft into and out of engagement with the gear 6. {The-shaft 8 has reduced ends 9 which are journaledin anti-frictional bearings 10 in the casing 1. Said shaft is adapted'to rotate freely relatively to said casing 1, but is secured preferablv against endwise movement therein. Thebody of the shaft 8 has a plurality of projections 11 which engage recesses 12 in the pinion 7. This construction provides la strong and durable connection between the. shiftable -pinion and the shaft and prevents stripping. The pinion 7 has a hub poi'tion 13, preferably integral therewith} provided with an annular groove l land is straddled by a yoke 15 of a depending ar 16, for purposes which will be hereinafter s t forth. Fixed on the shaft 8, adjacent the lef wall :of the casing 1, Fig. 1, is a clutch element 17, cooperatively associated with a second clutch element 18, which in turn is provided with external gear teeth 19;and these in turn ,mesh with the teeth of a pinion 20, fixed on the armature shaft 21. Suitable anti-friction bearings 22 are provided in the casing 1 for supporting the armature and permitting free rotation thereof. A lever 23 is pivotally-mounted between ears 24L, projecting from the casing 1, asindicated at 25. The lower end of this lever is pivotally connected with a rod 26 slidably mounted in a bushing 27 in the frame 1. This rod connects in some suitable manner with the arm 16 and is preferably threaded thereon as indicated at 28. A coiled expansile spring 29' surrounds the shaft 26 and a portion of the bushing 27 and bears against the upper end of the arm 16 to hold the pinion 7 normally out of engagement with the gear 6 ofthe fly-wheel. Near the top of the frame or housing 1 there is slidably mounted a push-rod 30, having a bifurcated portion 31, which straddles the upper end 32 of the lever This push-rod connects at its outer end with any suitable foot or handoperated member A stud 3f, connecting the walls 31 formed by the bifurcation of the push-rod. and an abutn'ient 35 formed by the termination of the recess. are spaced apart to provide a certain amount of lost motion between the puslnro d 3t, and the lever 23, when actuating the device to complete the transmission. A block 36 is mounted upon the push-rod as by a cotter pin 37, and this block carries bridging members, 38, 39, for controlling the electrical circuit, as will be later described. A coil spring rt) surrounds the push-rod 3t), bears indirectly against the block 36 and reacts indirectly against the casing l, tending primarily to maintain the bridging members 38 and 39 in open contact position, and secondly to cooperate with the spring 29 to maintain the pinion 7 out of engagement with the gear of the tlv-wheel.

Depending from the 1'G1l1( able cover 21, there aretwo pairs of contacts 42 and 43 respectively. The contacts 42 are adapted for engagen'ient with the bridging member 33 upon initial movement of the push-rod 3t), whereupon the electrical circuit between the storage battery it, or other source of electrical energy. and the motor is completed through a resistance coil 4:). Subsequent movement of the push-rod 30 against the action of the spring 40. closes the electrical circuit across the contacts 43 by bringing the bridging member 35) into engagement therewith. and this cuts out the resistance coil 45. Binding posts it? and t? are mounted on the removable transmission case cover t] and are connected suitably with the contact airs 42 and 43.

The operation of-the device is as follows:

Assuming the parts to be in normally open position. as shown in Fig. 1, to start the engine. the operator presses the member which in turn urges the push-rod 30 in a forward or inward direction against the'action of the spring 40. To a. certain point, this movementis comparatively easy, as the spring 40 is affording the only substantial resistance. The parts are arranged, however, so that an amplitude of travel, sufiicient to engage the bridging member 38 with the contacts 42, simultaneously engages the stud 34 with the upper end 32 of the lever At this time the circuit is complete from the battery 44 to the motor, but the circuit includes the resistance coil 4-5 with the field and the latter is accordingly energized below its full normal value. This causes the motor armature to turn slowly. Accordingly the pinion 20 is set in motion and transmits power to the clutch member 18, which in turn drives the clutch member 17 through a medium which will be described later. Rotary movement imparted to the clutch member 17 will, of course, rotate the shaft 8 and accordingly, the shiftable pinion 7. The construction just described overcomes the inertia of the transmission parts and affords a slow rotativo finding movement for the pinion 7, which, at this time, is slightly out of engagement with the gear 6 of the flywheel; Upon further movement of the member 33 by the operator, -the resistance of the spring a0 is increased, the action of the spring 29 and the inertia of several parts is added to the force to be overcome by the operator. This has a tendency to create a two-step inward movement of the push-rod 30, the second step being retarded slightly because of the added resistance, permitting the motor to get well under way before the mechanical transmission is complete. The second step of the inward movement of the plunger 30 carries the bridging member 38 beyond the contacts 42, and the'resisting force mentioned having been overcome at this point,

the bridging member 39 is brought quickly into engagement with the contacts 43. Also, during the second step of the push-rod, the stud 3st moves the lever-23 about its pivot point 25 and acts through the slide rod 26 and yoke 15 to shift the pinion 7 along the shaft 8 into full engagement with the gear 6 of the fly-wheel. The mechanical transmission is completed at or about the time that the bridging member 39 closes the elec trical circuit across the contacts 43 and cuts out the resistance coil 45. Thereupon, the motor speeds up rapidly, and through the pinion 20, over-running clutch and shiftable pinion 7, turns the fly-wheel 5 to cause the necessary compression in the engine cylinders. As soon as the engine commences to operate under its own power, the fly-wheel speed increases to such an extent that there is a tendency to rotate the pinion 20 at a greater speed than that imparted to it by the speed of the armature. This automatically disconnects the clutch members 17 and 18 in the following manner:

By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the over-running clutch device comprises the clutch member 17 and the clutch member 18 which are connected togetherfby means of rollers 4.4: being wedged by the cam faces 45 on the clutch member 17 into engagement with the inner circumferential wall of the clutch member 18. It will be obvious that if the shaft 8 rotates at high speed and carries the clutch member 17 at a speed greater than that which is imparted to the .clutch member 18 by the motor, the rollers 44 will recede from their wedged position against the action of the springs 46 and thereby disconnect the two parts of the clutch. When the speed of the shaft 8 becomes equal to or less than that of the clutch member 18, the springs 46 immedi ately restore the rollers to wedged position, so tl at there is practically no lost motion.

is many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely ditlerent embodiments of this invention could he made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter eontained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall he interln'eted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to he understood that the language used in the following claims is in' tended to cover all generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and

all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therehetwecn.

I claim-.-

1. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a source of electricity, a unitary switching means movable at the option of the operator for establishing connection between said source and said motor, said switching means having an off position and two distinct operative positions and driving comiections between said motor and said engine, the operativeness of said connections being dependent upon the position of said switching means, said switching means being biased by a plurality of springs dividing the i'novement thereof into two (listinct steps.

In engine starting apparatus, in combination, an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, means adapted to energize said motor, power transmitting devices between said motor and said engine, and resistance controlling means cooperating with the first said means adapted primarily to give the motor a slow starting movement and to cut out said resistance to increase the speed of said motor when the transmission is established, said resistance controlling means being biased by a plurality of springs dividing the movement into two distinct steps.

3. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, means adapted to energize said motor, power transmitting devices between said motor and said engine, resistance controlling means cooperating with the first said means adapted primarily to give the motor a slow starting movement and to cut out said resistance to increase the speed of said motor when the transmission is established, and means adapted automatically to render said power transmitting devices ineffective when said engine is self-actuated, said resistance controlling means being biased by a plurality of springs dividing the movement into two' distinct steps.

4:. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, power transmission devices between said engine and said motor. a source of electrical energy, and a unitary switch means connected between said source and said motor said switch means having an ofi' position and two distinct operative positions whereby the voltage at the motor terminals may be selectively varied. said switch means being biased by a plurality of springs dividing the movement thereof into two distinct steps corresponding to said two operative positions. 1

In engine starting apparatus. in combination, an internal combustion engine, a series motor, power t 'ansmission devices between said engine and said motor, a source of electrical energy, a resistance between said source and said motor, a switch having two distinct stages of operation, one of which cuts said resistance out of circuit and a member adapted to be manually operated for moving said switch and also operatively connectin said power transmission devices, said meinl er being biased by a plurality of springs dividing the movement thereof into two distinct steps corresponding to said two stages. I

6. In engine starting ap] )arat-us, in combination, a source of electrical energy, a motor arranged to be operatedfrom said source and having connectedtherewith a power transmitting member, a resistance in circuit between said source and said motor, a switch adapted in :one operative position to connect said source to said motor through said resistance and to simultaneously move said power transmitting member independently of the action of said motor and in anotheinposition to'cut out said resistance, said switch being biased to divide the movement thereof into two distinct steps corresponding to the said two positions thereof.

7. In engine starting apparatus. in combination, a source of electrical energy, a motor-arranged to be operated from said source and having connected therewith a power tansmitting member, a resistance in the field circuit of said motor, a circuit controlling switeh, a device adapted to control movement of said power transmitting member. and means manually operable whereby said switch may be moved to first establish an operative electrical circuit through said resistance and maintain the same while moving said member and subsequently to cut out said resistance, said switch being biased to divide the movement thereof into two dis tinct steps. 8. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, an internal combustion engine having a power transmitting member. a source same while moving said member and subseqnently to cut out said resistance, said switch being biased to divide the movement thereof into two distinct steps.

9. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, a source of electrical energy, a

motor arranged to be operated from said source and having connected therewith a power transmitting member, means adapted to be manually operated for causing a re1atively low speed of rotation of said motor and in the same moven'lent, causing movement of said member independently of the action of said motor, and means whereby said member may move at a greater rotative speed than the speed derived from the motor armature, said manually operated means being biased to divide the movement thereof into two distinct steps.

10. In engine starting apparatus, in coml)ll1;ltl0ll,21ll internal combustion engine haw ing a power transmitting member, a source of electrical energy, a motor arranged to be operated from said source and having a power transmitting member cooperatively associated with the member of said engine,

means adapted to be manually operated for causing relatively slow rotation of the motor and, in the same movement, causing independent movement of said member and subsequently causing a faster rotation of said motor, said means being biased by a plurality of springs dividing the movement thereof into two distinct steps.

11. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, a storage battery, a series field motor arranged in an electrical circuit with said battery, a switch for controlling saidcircuit through a cut-out resistance, a shiftable gear driven from the motor shaft, and means comprising a manually operable memher for effecting movement eonjointly of said switch and said gear, said means being biased by a plurality of springs dividing the movement thereof into two distinct steps.

12-. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, a storage battery, a series field motor arranged in an electrical circuit with said battery, a switch for controlling said circuit through a cut-out resistance, a shiftable gear driven from the motor shaft, means comprising a manually operablemember for effecting movement conjoint-1y of said switch and said gear, and means permitting said gear to travel at a greater rotative speed than that of the motor arn'iature, said switch being biased'to divide the movement thereof into two distinct steps.

13. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, a motor, a shiftable gear driven therefrom, a resistance in the field circuit of the motor, and means comprising a common operating member whereby said resistance may be included in the field circuit of said motor, the gear may be shifted to operative power transmitting position and said resistance may be excluded from the field circuit, said means being biased to divide the movement thereof into two distinct steps.

14-. In engine starting apparatus, in combination, a motor, a shiftable gear driven therefrom, a resistance in the field circuit of the motor, and means whereby movement of said gear toward operative power transmitting position simultaneously includes said resistance in the field circuit of said motor and said resistance is cut out upon a predetermined attained position of said gear, said means being biased to divide the movement thereof into two distinct steps.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

THUM A S ZIMMERWM N. lVitnesses Jnssn A. HoLToN, A. M. Fxnz'onrnn. 

